UK-registered Fodere has developed a process to treat low-grade and complex titanium-bearing feedstock, where existing methods are not suitable, to produce ultra-pure high-grade synthetic rutile.

The process can extract a basket of compounds, primarily titanium dioxide and vanadium pentoxide, while generating almost zero waste.

Nick von Schirnding, chairman of Fodere, is also a nonexecutice director of Jangada.

Fodere is currently advancing its pilot project in South Africa and expects to commission a small industrial plant in the fourth quarter of the year; a larger plant will be developed thereafter.

Jangada said its investment in Fodere provides access to forward thinking experts, technology, and waste improvement processes and is consistent with its approach to develop vanadium, titanium and iron resources in a substantiable and environmentally friendly way. 

According to its website, Fodere has since 2013 been developing a proprietary process to extract titanium from steel slag and refine titanium and other industrial minerals and chemicals with a lower carbon footprint than existing processes.

Its first first state-of-the-art industrial production facility will be built in Witbank in South Africa, with a production capacity of more than 22,000 tonnes of titanium dioxide, vanadium pentoxide along with alumina oxide and magnesium sulphate as by-products.